Shielded wire cables typically include an insulated center conductor and a separate insulated shield conductor surrounding the center conductor insulation. The shield conductor may consist of a braided wire mesh, metal foil, or metalized film. The cables typically have a second insulation layer covering the shield conductor. Shielded wire cables have been long used for communications systems, such as in cable television transmission lines. Shielded wire cables are also finding use in high voltage applications in electric and hybrid electric vehicles. When shielded wire cables are spliced together, there is usually a need to electrically connect the shield conductors of the spliced cables as well as the center conductor, in order to maintain electrical continuity of the shield conductors. Interconnecting the shield conductors may be complicated because the shield conductors must be cut back from the spliced ends of the cable in order to join the center conductors. Interconnecting the shield conductors may be further complicated in a one-to-many splicing configuration, sometimes referred to as a Y-splice or H-splice.
A splicing device and a method for splicing shielded wire cables is described in U.S. Pat. No. 9,543,747 issued Jan. 10, 2017, herein incorporated by reference in it entirely. The splicing device described includes shielded cables having center conductors that are sonically welded together. The insulating jackets of the shielded are stripped back to expose the shield braid which then must be electrically connected to provide proper EMI shielding of each of the spliced shielded cables. The interconnection of the shield braids of the shielded cables is provided by braided strapping or conductive tape, which must interface with each braided shield. When multiple wires with different diameter, i.e. different wire gauge, are spliced, it is difficult to insure that all of the wire shields have proper electrical and mechanical interface with the braided strapping or conductive tape. Also, although the wires are configured in a general horizontal alignment, the wires are fanned out with a defined spacing to easily align with portals in an outer housing containing the spliced section of the cables. Therefore a splicing device and method that can more easily accommodate wires of differing diameter and provide alignment of the cables remains desired.
The subject matter discussed in the background section should not be assumed to be prior art merely as a result of its mention in the background section. Similarly, a problem mentioned in the background section or associated with the subject matter of the background section should not be assumed to have been previously recognized in the prior art. The subject matter in the background section merely represents different approaches, which in and of themselves may also be inventions.